Jet engine with deflector

ABSTRACT

An air inlet deflector for a structure having an air inlet. The deflector may be retractable within the structure, may be integrally formed with the structure, and may prevent the structure from ingesting foreign matter, such as birds. The deflector may include a series of ribs, spokes, or vanes that may vary in width and/or thickness from fore to aft, and/or may be curvilinear in one or more planes of view, and/or may serve double duty as inlet vanes for redirecting inlet air.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent Ser. No. 14/594,747,filed Jan. 12, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/888,897, filed May 7, 2013, which issued as U.S. Pat. No.8,968,437 on Mar. 3, 2015, entitled JET ENGINE WITH DEFLECTOR, which isa continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/462,181,filed May 2, 2012, entitled JET ENGINE DEFLECTOR, which issued as U.S.Pat. No. 8,657,895, on Feb. 25, 2014, the contents of all of which areincorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates in general to deflector apparatus and inparticular to deflector apparatus for use with apparatus having an airintake, including turbine engines such as aircraft power plants and thelike.

BACKGROUND

The problems caused by ingestion of foreign objects into the air inletof jet engines have long been recognized in the art. This problem isparticularly acute with jet engines used on aircraft, since such enginesare operated in an environment where foreign objects cannot be removedor controlled. The engines of jet aircraft taxiing on the groundfrequently ingest foreign objects such as tools and other small metalobjects, while a jet aircraft in flight is susceptible to ingestion ofbirds, leaves, paper, and other airborne debris.

The ingestion of almost any solid foreign object into the air inlet of ajet engine causes damage to the compressor stages, and possibly to otherportions of the engine. This engine damage is immediately manifested bya partial or complete loss of available engine thrust, with consequentimpairment of aircraft flying ability.

The problem of bird ingestion into jet engines is particularly acuteduring aircraft take-off, where an aircraft may fly through a flock ofbirds at precisely the time when maximum available thrust is requiredfor a safe take-off. Since many commercial and private jet-poweredaircraft have only two engines, it will be appreciated that a partialloss of power in both engines, or a total loss of power in one engine,occurring during or shortly after take-off can have drasticconsequences. Post-crash investigations have proved that numerous jetaircraft crashes, resulting in loss of life and extensive propertydamage, are directly attributable to bird ingestion which occurredduring or shortly after take-off.

According to FAA statistics, there have been over 100,000 (Civil andUSAF) wildlife strikes between 1990 and 2008, and the number of strikeshas climbed steadily since 1990. In 1990, the industry saw 1,738 birdstrikes; in 2007, the number had increased to 7,666. Some of that trendis due to increased air travel, but the frequency of wildlife strikeshas tripled from 0.527 to 1.751 per 10,000 flights.

Bird strikes, particularly of the jet's engines, can have catastrophicconsequences. On Oct. 4, 1960, Eastern Air Lines Flight 375 was struckby a flock of European starlings during take-off. All four engines weredamaged and the aircraft crashed in the Boston harbor. There were 62fatalities.

Although FAA regulations require that jet engines be designed to permitcontinued operation after ingesting a bird of specified size at aspecified aircraft speed, such design has not eliminated bird strikescausing engine damage and/or failure. On Jan. 15, 2009, a double birdstrike involving Canadian geese impacted U.S. Airways Flight 1549, anAirbus A320-214, about three minutes after take-off from La Guardiaairport, when the airplane was at an altitude of 2,818 feet AGL (aboveground level). The bird strike resulted in an immediate and completeloss of thrust to both engines, forcing the crew to ditch the plane inthe Hudson River.

FAA statistics report that 92% of bird strikes occur at or below 3,000feet AGL, thus at a critical point of takeoff or landing. Proposedground-based wildlife abatement programs, such as radar detection ofbird flocks and use of lights, noise makers, and water cannons are oflittle to no use in abating bird strikes at altitudes such as Flight1549 experienced, or higher altitudes.

The increase in bird strikes has resulted in regular reports ofcommercial jets being forced to make emergency landings shortly aftertakeoff. According to FAA statistics, gulls are the most common type ofbird to strike aircraft, accounting for 19% of the birds identified inbird strikes. Doves and pigeons are the second most common, accountingfor 15% of the birds identified in bird strikes. But as Flight 1549proves, bird strikes of larger birds such as Canada geese can alsooccur, with devastating consequences.

There are many factors contributing to increasing rates of bird strikesby commercial and military aircraft. These factors include: 1) As jettravel replaced the noisier and slower piston-powered aircraft, thechance of these jets colliding with wildlife increased; 2) Along withthe change in mode of travel there has been an increase in air trafficworldwide, both military and commercial; 3) Natural habitat surroundsmany modem airports and this habitat provides shelter, nesting area, andfeeding areas for wildlife that is not usually present in thesurrounding metropolitan area; 4) Many of the world's busiest airports,including Washington Reagan National, Philadelphia International, NewYork La Guardia, and Boston Logan International, are near large bodiesof water that create the aforementioned natural habitats for large waterfowl such as geese and ducks; 5) Wildlife conservation measuresgenerally serve to increase the populations of native birds. Thesefactors result in a majority of wildlife strikes occurring within theimmediate airport environment. According to FAA statistics, over $600million dollars annually is lost due to wildlife strikes with civilaircraft in the United States alone.

The term “jet engine” as used herein is intended to include varioustypes of engines which take in air at a relatively low velocity, heatthe air through combustion, and expel the air at a much higher velocity.The term “jet engine” includes turbojet engines and turbofan engines,for example.

A jet engine conventionally comprises a compressor section forcompression of the intake air, a combustion section for combustion ofthe compressed air and a turbine section arranged behind the combustionchamber, the turbine section being rotationally connected to thecompressor section in order to drive this by means of the energy-richgas from the combustion chamber. The compressor section usuallycomprises a low-pressure compressor and a high-pressure compressor. Theturbine section usually comprises a low-pressure turbine and ahigh-pressure turbine. The high-pressure compressor is rotationallylocked to the high-pressure turbine via a first shaft and thelow-pressure compressor is rotationally locked to the low-pressureturbine via a second shaft.

In the aircraft jet engine, stationary guide vane assemblies are used toturn the flow from one angle to another. The stationary guide vaneassembly may be applied in a stator component of a turbo-fan engine at afan outlet, in a Turbine Exhaust Case (TEC) and in an Inter-Mediate Case(IMC).

SUMMARY

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, there may be provided adeflector comprising a plurality of radially disposed spokes, the spokesbeing curvilinear in at least two planes of view.

According to another embodiment of the disclosure, there may be provideda deflector comprising a plurality of radially disposed ribs, spokes, orvanes including a narrower section proximate the forward end of thedeflector, transitioning to a wider section proximate the aft end of thedeflector.

According to another embodiment of the invention, there may be provideda deflector comprising a plurality of radially disposed ribs, spokes, orvanes including a thicker section proximate the forward end of thedeflector, transitioning to a thinner section proximate the aft end ofthe deflector.

According to another embodiment of the invention, there may be provideda deflector comprising a plurality of radially disposed ribs, spokes, orvanes including one or more air inlet holes.

According to another embodiment of the disclosure, there may be provideda jet engine with an air inlet deflector, the air inlet deflectorincluding an attachment ring attached to a structural frame of the jetengine proximate the air inlet thereof; a plurality of curvilinearvanes, each vane being curvilinear in at least two planes of view andconnected at their rearward ends to the attachment ring; and a centralhub positioned at the forward most end of the deflector, each of thecurvilinear vanes being attached to the central hub.

According to another embodiment of the disclosure, there may be provideda method of preventing ingestion of flying debris by an air inlet, themethod comprising mounting a plurality of radially spaced rib membersabout the air inlet; providing adjoining rib members with a maximalspacing that precludes ingestion of flying debris of a predeterminedsize through the maximal spacing; and configuring the rib members so asto turn incoming air from a direction generally normal to the air inletto a direction that is at least partially radial with respect to the airinlet.

These and other features of the present disclosure will become apparentto one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the followingdetailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings and theappended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a frontal view of a deflector ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a side view of a jet enginedeflector system of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a deflector rib, spoke, or vane of thepresent disclosure.

FIGS. 4 A-C are cross sectional views of exemplary deflector rib, spoke,or vane configurations as viewed along broken lines B-B of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a portion of a front plan viewof another deflector of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a partial frontal view of another deflector of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of a portion of the deflector of FIG. 6taken along broken lines C-C.

FIG. 8 is an isometric partial cross sectional view of a deflectormember of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a schematic representation of partial side view of a deflectormember of FIG. 8 in relation to an air inlet cowl.

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of a component, such as an aircraftwing, illustrating different materials of construction in differentregions of the component.

FIG. 11 is a schematic cross sectional view of a component, illustratingdifferent materials of construction in different regions of thecomponent and a method of fabricating the same.

FIG. 12 is a schematic representation of a component having differentregions or zones comprising different materials of construction and/orblends thereof.

FIG. 13 is a schematic frontal view of a portion of an air inletdeflector of the present disclosure illustrating deflector members thatmay transition from a deployed orientation to a retracted orientation.

FIG. 14 is a cross section of a deflector member such as taken alonglines C-C of FIG. 2.

FIG. 15 is a schematic frontal view of a retractable air inlet deflectorof the present disclosure as mounted to an air inlet, for example, of ajet engine.

FIG. 15A is a partial sectional side view of a retractable air inletdeflector of the present disclosure as mounted proximate an air inlet,for example, within a jet engine air inlet cowl.

FIG. 16 is a plan view of a guide member of the present disclosure.

FIG. 17 is a frontal view of one aspect of the guide member of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a right side view of the guide member of FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 is a right side view of another aspect of the guide member ofFIG. 16.

FIG. 20 is a cross sectional view of an aspect of the disclosureillustrating overlapping deflector members, taken substantially alonglines F-F of FIG. 15.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there are illustrated embodiments of adeflector of the disclosure, generally 10. As illustrated, the deflector10 may comprise a series of generally radially disposed ribs, spokes, orvanes 12 arranged circumferentially about the inlet 11 of a jet engine,generally 20. The ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 may be arranged about andconnected to a central hub 14.

As further illustrated in FIG. 2, the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 mayprovide the deflector 10 with an elongated, generally smooth profilethat may present a generally oblique angle θ relative to the directionof air flow into the engine, as illustrated by the arrow A. Theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 is highly elongated, and notnecessarily representative of the degree of elongation that would beemployed in actual use, where cost and weight of materials must beminimized wherever feasible. The oblique angle θ makes it more likelythat a bird or other debris striking the deflector 10 will be deflectedaway from the air inlet 11 of the jet engine 20 to which the deflector10 is mounted, and not become lodged or wedged within the air inletopenings 9 between adjacent ribs, spokes, or vanes 12.

The configuration of the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 illustrated in FIG. 2is elliptical in profile, although other shapes, including conical,parabolic, hyperbolic, semi-oval, semi-spherical, and the like providingan oblique angle θ to the direction of impact/incoming air flow are ofcourse possible as will now be readily apparent to those of ordinaryskill in the art. As illustrated, the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 may beseparated from each other by a distance that widens slightly fore toaft, but preferably the widest distance D between adjacent ribs, spokes,or vanes 12 is small enough to prevent a large, heavy bird, such as aCanada goose, from getting through to the air inlet 11 upon impact. Thewidest distance D may also be small enough to present birds the size ofa gull or pigeon, the most common birds ingested in bird strikes, frombeing ingested, although modern jet engines are typically designed to beable to handle ingestion of smaller birds.

As illustrated, the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 may be curvilinear in twoplanes, as represented in FIGS. 1 and 2, which may create a spiralingeffect. This arrangement may beneficially direct the incoming air from adirection that is generally normal to the air inlet, to a generallyspiral direction (i.e., having a rotational component), which may assistin rotating the intake fan and/or compressor and/or turbine to a greaterextent than would occur without the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 sooriented. Thus, the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 may act as stationaryinlet air guide vanes, serving double duty as components of a deflector,as well as guide vanes acting as a stator for turning incoming air in adirection contributing to rotation of the fan, compressor(s) and/orturbine(s).

The ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 may vary in width proximate the fore end,generally 52 of the deflector 10 to the aft end generally 56, asillustrated, with the ribs, spokes, or vanes having a narrower fore end13 and wider aft end 15. The use of ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 that widenin the circumferential direction “c” from fore to aft, as illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2, may reduce or eliminate the need for cross bar supportsbetween ribs, spokes, or vanes 12, or added ribs, spokes, or vanesproximate the wider end of the deflector as it nears the engine inlet11, which supports and/or added ribs, spokes, or vanes may tend toimpede air intake and/or increase drag and/or increase weight of thedeflector and therefore the engine. It may, however, be desirable incertain configurations, particularly for jet engines of larger diameter,to include cross bar supports between adjacent ribs, spokes, or vanes12.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 may have arelatively thicker region 50 proximate the fore end, generally 52 of thedeflector 10, and may taper to a relatively thinner region 54, proximatethe aft end, generally 56 of the deflector 10. Thus, the ribs, spokes,or vanes 12 may become relatively, generally, or progressively thinnerin the radial direction “r,” from fore to aft.

Such difference in thickness may contribute to minimizing weight of theribs, spokes, or vanes 12, while providing greater thickness andtherefore material and strength in the regions most needed, for example,the regions of the ribs, spokes, or vanes proximate the narrower foreend 13, while providing less thickness and less material at the wideraft end 15 of the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12. Providing greaterthickness, material, and strength in the thicker region 50 may helpmitigate structural damage to the deflector 10 upon impact with birds orother debris, as the fore end 52 of the deflector 10 is more likely toreceive both the initial impact, and receive such an impact at arelatively smaller (i.e., more direct) angle of incidence, θ₁ comparedto the angle of incidence θ₂ proximate the aft end 56 of the deflector10, as illustrated by the arrows in FIG. 2.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, one or more or all of the ribs, spokes, orvanes 12 and/or central hub 14 may be further configured with one ormore air inlet holes 19. Such air inlet holes 19, when applied to theribs, spokes, or vanes 12, may be spaced along the entire lengththereof, or may be positioned proximate the wider aft end 15. The airinlet holes 19 may further improve air intake through the deflector 10to the jet engine, generally 20. The air inlet holes 19 as illustratedin FIG. 2 may be elliptical in shape, and may increase in size fore toaft as illustrated. Of course other shapes for the inlet holes 19, suchas round, square, rectangular, oval, slotted, or combinations of theseand other shapes may be employed. The size of the air inlet holes 19 maybe small enough to preclude ingestion of large birds, such as Canadageese, or even smaller birds, such as pigeons and starlings. In additionto providing more area for air intake, the air inlet holes 19 may reducethe weight of the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 and/or the central hub 14.

The air inlet holes 19 may include directional side walls 22 thatredirect the air passing along boundary layers near the outer surface 24of the ribs, spokes, vanes, and/or central hub 14 through the holes 19along a desired flow path, e.g., axially in the direction of the fanand/or compressor, or with a rotational component as previouslydiscussed. FIG. 4A illustrates one example of directional side walls 22that may tend to direct air passing through the air inlet hole 19 fromthe outer surface 24 of the rib, spoke, or vane 12 through the air inlethole 19 and along the inner surface 26 of the rib, spoke, or vane 12 asillustrated by the directional arrows. As illustrated, the air inlethole directional side walls 22 may be tapered, which may contribute toimparting a nozzle effect to the air exiting the air inlet holes 19.Although the side walls 22 as illustrated have a generally inwardlytapered conical configuration, other configurations, e.g. cylindrical,or outwardly flaring conical, may also be used, depending on theapplication.

As illustrated, the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 may be attached to anattachment ring 16. The attachment ring 16, in turn, may be attached tothe frame 17 of a jet engine, generally 20, as illustrated in FIG. 2,using suitable fasteners 21, according to accepted air frame standards.Such fasteners 21 may be equally spaced about the circumference and/orperimeter of the attachment ring 16. Although the fasteners 21illustrated in FIG. 2 may be bolts or screws, other acceptable fastenersknown to those of ordinary skill in the art may be used, and may beconfigured to permit removal of the deflector 10 for engine maintenance.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 may be connectedto the attachment ring 16 at an attachment point 60 proximate theleading edge 40 and the wider aft end 15. In the embodiment illustrated,the attachment point 60 may be attached to the inner wall 62 of theattachment ring 16. Such an attachment may permit greater air intake inthe region proximate the wider aft end 15 than might be possible if theentire width of the wider aft end 15 is attached to the inner wall 62 ofthe attachment ring 16, as air may flow through the space 70 between theinner wall 62 of the attachment ring and outer end 72 of the spoke orvane 12.

The inner wall 62 of the attachment ring 16 may be sized to align withthe inner wall 65 of the air inlet 11 to the jet engine 20 to which thedeflector 10 is mounted, to further maximize incoming air, and/ormitigate the effect to which the attachment ring 16 may block incomingair. Other attachment configurations are of course possible, includingattaching the wider aft end 15 of the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 to theinner wall 62 of the attachment ring 16 across the entire width of thewider aft end 15 of the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12, as illustratedschematically in FIG. 6.

Another attachment configuration is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 6, wherethe ribs, spokes or vanes 12 may be connected to the attachment ring 16proximate the outer wall 64 thereof. As illustrated, the outside orleading edges 40 of the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 may be attached to theattachment ring 16 such that the leading edges 40 blend aerodynamicallywith the outer wall 64 of the attachment ring 16 and the outer surfaceor cowling 66 of the jet engine 20. In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 6, the trailing edge 42 and the outboard surface 76 of the ribs,spokes, or vanes 12 may also blend aerodynamically with the outer wall64 of the attachment ring 16 and the outer surface or cowling 66 of thejet engine 20 at the aft end 56 of the deflector 10, which configurationmay be achieved by imparting a slight twist to the rib, spoke, or vane12 proximate the aft end 56.

Here it may be recognized that the portion of the deflector 10 thatresides outboard of the inner wall 65 of the air inlet 11 may havelittle to no negative impact on air intake to the jet engine 20, andindeed may actually contribute to greater air intake, for examplethrough the use of larger air inlet holes 19 proximate the aft end 56,particularly if such air inlet holes have directional side walls 22 todirect airflow inboard of the inner wall 65, as illustrated in FIGS. 2and 6. As there illustrated, the side walls 22 of the air inlet holes 19that are positioned outboard of the inner wall 65 of the air inlet 11may further include a vane member 70 that may extend radially inwardly.This vane member 70, in combination with the directional side wall 22,may cause air to be redirected from a direction substantially normal tothe air inlet 11 but outboard thereof, as represented by arrow A, to adirection with a radial component, thereby directing the air inboard ofthe inner wall 65 so it may be ingested by the air inlet 11, asillustrated by arrow B.

Further, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 6, the deflector 10 may includein the air inlet openings 9 between adjoining ribs, spokes, or vanes 12one or more directional vanes 72 to further assist in directing airtoward the air inlet 11. The directional vanes 72 may comprise flat orcurved members. Such directional vanes 72, in addition to providing forredirecting the air in the direction B, may further contribute tostructural integrity of the deflector 10 by serving as a connectorbetween adjoining ribs, spokes, or vanes 12.

The directional vanes 72, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, may have acurved outboard surface 74 that may blend with and may havesubstantially the same arc or curvature as the outboard surface 76 ofthe ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 to which it is joined at the points ofconnection 78. The directional vanes 72 may further comprise an inboardsurface 79 that may be directed and/or extend inboard of the inner wall65 of the air inlet 11, and may be straight or, as illustrated in FIG.7, curvilinear, and may direct air radially inboard of the inner wall 65of the air inlet 11 toward the air inlet 11. When appropriately sizedand positioned, the combination of directional vanes 72 with vanemembers 70 outboard of the inner wall 65 of the jet engine air inlet 11may cause virtually all air that would, in connection with a jet engine20 having no deflector 10, to strike the outer cowling of the engine andnot reach the air intake 11, to be redirected generally in the directionof arrow B, substantially increasing airflow into the engine 20.

The ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 may, in cross section, be shaped asairfoils or as the guide vanes shown as element 208 of FIG. 2 of US2010/0158684 A1, incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.Whereas the guide vanes 208 of that disclosure, however, are struts thatterminate in an outer ring, the profile of the vanes or spokes of thepresent disclosure may be arcuate or curvilinear, i.e., semi-elliptical,semi-spherical, parabolic, hyperbolic, semi-oval, etc., in shape fromfore to aft, creating the oblique angle previously described. Such anembodiment is illustrated in FIG. 3.

In the embodiment of the disclosure illustrated in FIG. 3, the ribs,spokes, or vanes 12 may have a generally hollow interior region 30,which may serve to reduce the weight of the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12.As further illustrated, the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 may be shaped witha narrow forward section 32 that widens to a curved aft section 34. Therib, spoke, or vane embodiments of FIG. 3 may be oriented about the jetengine inlet 11 generally like stator vanes, and may create a change intangential velocity of the incoming air, as well as increasing thatvelocity through a nozzle effect caused by proximity of the ribs,spokes, or vanes 12 to adjacent ribs, spokes, or vanes 12. The effect ofthis orientation of the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 may be to change thedirection of incoming air from a direction generally normal to the airinlet to a direction that is at least partially rotational relative tothe air inlet, thereby providing a change in the tangential momentum ofthe air, causing a torque on the rotor in the direction of rotation. Theribs, spokes, or vanes 12 may also be oriented so as to have an angularpitch in order to improve air intake and/or tangential air velocity.

In another embodiment of the disclosure, the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12are not oriented in a spiral configuration. Rather, the ribs, spokes, orvanes 12 may be curvilinear in only one plane, and thus may appear tohave straight edges when the deflector 10 is viewed from the front, asillustrated schematically in FIG. 5, and may further appear curvilinear,e.g., semi-circular, semi-ellipsoidal, parabolic, hyperbolic, and/orsemi-oval, when the deflector 10 is viewed from the side. Straight ribs,spokes, or vanes 12 such as illustrated in FIG. 5 may also employ arelatively narrow fore section 13 transitioning to a wider aft section15, and/or a relatively thicker region 50 proximate the fore end 52,transitioning to a relatively thinner region 54 proximate the aft end 56of the deflector 10, and may further include one or more air inlet holes19, which may include direction side walls 22, as previously described.

The ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 are not shown to scale, or with theoptimal number of ribs, spokes, or vanes that might be present on a jetengine according to the present disclosure, and the curvatures andproportions shown may be somewhat exaggerated for visual clarity. Itwill now be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art thatthe disclosure may be optimized to minimize weight, and maximize airintake, while maintaining adequate strength of the deflector to resistbird strikes and ingestion of other flying debris.

Whether the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 are curvilinear in one or twoplanes, it may be advantageous for the ribs, spokes, or vanes to have anaerodynamic and/or airfoil-shaped cross section, similar to that of aturbine blade or a stator, although the ribs, spokes, or vanes may, forexample, be round, oval, square, rectangular, or triangular in crosssection as well. FIGS. 4 A-C represent a few possible, but by no meansonly, aerodynamic and/or airfoil cross sectional shapes of the ribs,spokes, or vanes as taken along the view represented by broken arrowlines B-B of FIG. 2. When such configuration is used, the ribs, spokes,or vanes 12 may include a leading edge 40 and a trailing edge 42designed to permit maximum flow of air around the spoke or vanes 12 andreduce drag, as illustrated by the arrows representing splitting of theairflow around the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12. The ribs, spokes, or vanes12 may be positioned or angled such that the leading edge 40 may bepositioned slightly outboard with respect to the trailing edge 42, asbest seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Jets often strike birds at a relatively high velocity associated withtakeoff, e.g. 200 knots calibrated air speed or greater, and the impactof such strikes, in addition to causing catastrophic engine failure, hasbeen known to seriously damage other structures of the plane, forexample, shattering windshields and rupturing the fuselage. Because ofthe speed with which a jet may be traveling upon impact in a birdstrike, and given the potential for striking large birds such as geese,albatross, vultures, ducks, etc., the deflector 10 may be designed tomaximize impact strength while minimizing added weight to the engine.Accordingly, the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 may be fabricated fromcarbon-fiber composite, or other known material in the aerospaceindustry, including by way of example aluminum, titanium, and alloysthereof, and resin-impregnated Kevlar® fabric or fibers, and the like.

As ballistic materials such as Kevlar® fiber and fabric are sometimesused as an engine wrap to contain turbine blades, preventing them frompuncturing the jet's cabin in a blade-out scenario, the same materialmay be advantageously used in fabricating the deflector 10 and itscomponents as will now be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in theart. As will also now be appreciated, when the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12have a multiple curve configuration, being curvilinear in at least twoplanes, e.g., elliptical in side profile as illustrated in FIG. 2, andspiral in front plan view as illustrated in FIG. 1, such multiple bends,particularly when metal is used, may increase the strength of the ribs,spokes, or vanes 12 relative to those that are merely straight rods orcurvilinear in only one plane.

The ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 may be attached directly to the frame 17of the jet engine, or, particularly in a retrofit scenario, may beattached to an attachment ring 16 using appropriate fasteners or otherattachment methods. When an attachment ring 16 is used, it may befabricated of the same material as the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12, or adifferent material. When the same material is used, e.g., carbon-fibercomposite, the attachment ring 16 may be fabricated as a unitary piecewith the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 and the central hub 14. Due tomolding constraints, it may be necessary, in order to mold theattachment ring 16, ribs, spokes, or vanes 12, and central hub 14together, to mold the deflector in two or more sections which may thenbe joined together. If the deflector 10 or its various components aremolded, the molding process may create an opportunity to incorporateheating elements within the structures of the deflector 10, such as theribs, spokes, or vanes 12, and/or central hub 14, which heating elementsmay be used for deicing purposes.

If metal, e.g., titanium or an alloy thereof, is used for the ribs,spokes, or vanes 12, central hub 14, and/or attachment ring 16, thecomponents may be connected using known methods such as welding orriveting, or the deflector 10 may be cast as a unitary piece. If metalcomponents are used for the deflector 10, deicing heating elements maybe incorporated within channels or grooves in the various deflectorcomponents or fastened to an outer surface of the components using knowntechniques. The attachment ring 16 may be fastened to the frame of thejet engine with fasteners, 17, such as bolts 21, for ease ofinstallation and removal for engine maintenance.

The central hub 14 may comprise a solid or hollow structure in the shapeof a truncated cone, having a blunt, rounded frontal surface 18 asillustrated in FIG. 2, and may be fabricated of the same material as theribs, spokes, or vanes 12, or a different material. If the deflector 10is fabricated of a moldable material, such as carbon-fiber composite,the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 and central hub 14 may be molded as asingle unit. If metal is used, the ribs, spokes, or vanes 12 may bewelded or riveted to the central hub 14. The central hub may,particularly in a molded configuration of the deflector 10, merelycomprise the central point of joinder of all of the ribs, spokes, orvanes 12, and thus may not appear as a separate component, and may havea small or even no discernible diameter.

In another aspect of the disclosure, the deflector 10 may be moldedintegrally with the frame 17 of the jet engine, avoiding the need for anattachment ring 16. Molded jet components fabricated from lightweightcomposite materials, such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP),used on Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, are known in the art.Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer, carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic orcarbon-fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP or often simplycarbon fiber), is an extremely strong and light fiber-reinforced polymerwhich contains carbon fibers. The polymer is most often epoxy, but otherpolymers, such as polyester, vinyl ester or nylon, are sometimes used.The composite may contain other fibers, such as aramid e.g. Kevlar,Twaron, aluminum, or glass fibers, as well as carbon fiber. Thestrongest and most expensive of these additives are carbon nanotubes

While the intense heat generated in the internal power plant of a jetengine would generally require use of high temperature metal alloys insuch regions, such high temperatures may be of less concern at theouter, air inlet region of the engine, which is in fact exposed toextreme cold temperatures in flight. Thus, composite nacelleconstruction, such as a seamless composite nacelle with a low dragintegrated inlet and fan cowl manufactured by Nexcelle, 30 MerchantStreet, Princeton Hill, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246, is reportedly being usedon the Comac C919 jet. It is thus advantageous to integrally mold adeflector, such as the deflector 10 of the present disclosure, with theframe, inlet cowl, and/or nacelle of the jet engine, provided the moldedCFRP or other composite material does not extend too close to the hotinterior or too near the hot exhaust region of the engine. When suchintegral molding is done, however, it may be necessary to provide forone or more additional access ports and/or openings proximate the frontof the jet engine to permit entry of maintenance personnel therein forperforming service, inspection, repair, etc. Alternatively, thedeflector may be integrally molded to an attachment member, such as anattachment ring 16 as previously described, permitting the entiredeflector 10 to be removed from the frontal portion of the engine forinspection or maintenance.

Further the deflector 10 may be integrally molded with the integratedinlet and fan cowl, such as that manufactured by Nexcelle, which inletand fan cowl may be installable on and/or removable from the jet engineas a single unit. By integrally molding the deflector 10 and nacellecomponents in this way, it is possible to maximize aerodynamicefficiency, reduce drag, and improve performance.

It is appreciated that any deflector 10 placed fore of a jet engineinlet may tend to reduce the volume of air flowing into the inlet, withconsequent loss of engine efficiency, thrust, fuel economy, etc. It may,therefore, be necessary to increase the diameter of the jet engine airintake in order to account for any decrease in air intake associatedwith mounting the deflector 10 to the engine. The configuration astaught by the present disclosure may, however, tend to minimize theamount of air that is deflected from the air inlet, by virtue of theconfiguration of the ribs, spokes, vanes, and/or central hub, the airinlet openings and holes, and the shape and orientation thereof asdisclosed herein.

Another aspect of the disclosure that may tend to minimize air blockageattributable to the deflector 10 is illustrated schematically in FIGS. 8and 9. FIG. 8 illustrates a partial cross section of a rib, vane, orspoke member, generally 80, that may have a channel, groove, gutter, orother shape 82 therealong that may contribute to directing incoming airalong the member 80 from fore to aft, as opposed to being deflected awayfrom the jet engine air inlet. As such, the flowing air, illustrated byarrows F, may be channeled along the member 80 from the fore end 83 tothe aft end 84 of the member 80. The channel, groove, gutter, or otherconfiguration may have a spherical, parabolic, hyperbolic, ellipsoidal,or other smoothly curved shape. As illustrated, the aft end 84 may beattached to, or formed integrally with, the nacelle cowl 86. As bestseen in FIG. 8, the aft end 84 of the member 80 may include an aperture88, which may be an annulus or funnel-shaped section, that may gatherthe air F flowing along the member 80 and redirect it via a side wall 81in a direction inboard of the inner wall 90 of the nacelle cowl 86toward the rotors of the engine, as illustrated by the arrows F′. Thisaperture 88 may further include a directional extension 92, which mayredirect the air F inboard of the inner wall 90 as illustrated. Theaperture 88 may further include a cover 89 that may trap and force theair F into the extension 92. This directional extension 92 may comprisea nozzle to increase the pressure of the air F′ exiting the extension 92being directed toward the rotors of the engine. The aperture 88 and/ordirectional extension 92 may be formed directly in the nacelle cowl, andmay be employed with or without members 80.

In another aspect of the disclosure, greater strength may be provided incertain regions or the deflector 10, for example, proximate the fore end52 of the deflector 10 relative to the aft end 56 by employing differentmaterials of construction in those regions, respectively, without theneed to vary the thickness and/or width of the ribs, spokes, vanes, orother deflector member employed from fore to aft. For example, in thecase of an engineered composite material such as carbon fiber reinforcedplastic (CFRP), the deflector 10 may be manufactured using a CFRP havinga greater stiffness and/or higher strength-to-weight ratio in a regionlikely to experience a more direct impact, such as the fore end 52 ofthe deflector 10, and a lower stiffness and/or lower strength-to-weightratio in a region likely to experience a less direct impact, such as theaft end 56 of the deflector 10. In this way, it may be possible tofabricate the deflector 10 with greater impact strength where it is mostneeded, namely proximate the regions where the angle of incidence θ₁ ofairborne matter striking the deflector 10 is more direct relative to theangle of incidence θ₂, where the angle of incidence is less direct, andless impact strength may accordingly be needed.

Such use of different materials may also contribute to providing thedeflector 10 with a greater shock absorption capability, particularly inthe less direct angle of incidence regions θ₂, where it may be possibleto compensate for use of lower strength and/or lower stiffness materialby employing material having more flexibility and/or resiliency andgreater shock absorbency. Different densities of materials may alsoachieve a similar result, as may the use of different metals and/oralloys. The use of such different materials may be accomplished bycreating different zones in the ribs, vanes, spokes, or other memberscomprising the deflector 10, and/or by gradually transitioning, forexample from a high strength, and/or high stiffness material proximateone end, such as the fore end of the deflector 10, to a lower strength,and/or lower stiffness material proximate the opposite end, such as theaft end of the deflector 10. The uses of different materials may beaccomplished during the molding process, by simultaneously injectingdifferent materials having different impact strengths, densities, and/orstiffness and/or other properties, through different injection ports ina mold used to form the deflector 10.

Using materials having different properties, i.e., impact strengths,and/or using different thicknesses may also be advantageously employedin other regions of an aircraft, as it is also common for bird strikesto occur, for example, impacting the aircraft's nose cone, wing, tailsection, engine nacelle or air inlet cowl, windshield, fuselage, etc.The outer skin of such aircraft components may therefore be fabricated,for example, such that the thickness and/or impact strength and/or otherphysical property of the component varies according to its location onthe aircraft. For example, in the case of an aircraft component 100,such as a wing, illustrated schematically in FIG. 10 in cross section,the component's leading edge 101, which would end to experience thegreatest impact from airborne debris, may be fabricated of a higherimpact strength material and/or greater thickness than the a region ofthe component 100 less likely or even unlikely to experience a directimpact from airborne matter, such as a wing's top surface 102. Suchvariation in thickness and/or impact strength and/or other property maybe achieved, for example, by continuously varying the thickness and/orimpact strength and/or other property in proportion to the angle ofimpact θ₁-θ_(∞). Additionally, or optionally, the material thicknessand/or impact strength and/or other property may be varied in differentzones, but be substantially consistent within each zone. For example,the leading edge 101 of a wing may, due to the angles of takeoff andlanding, have a frontal zone that may experience a direct angle ofimpact θ₁ across any portion of the frontal zone depending on theangle(s) of takeoff and landing at the time of impact. It may thus bedesirable to fabricate such a frontal zone in its entirety with a higherimpact strength material than other zones of the component.

The aspect illustrated in FIG. 10 is schematic, for illustrativepurposes, and not necessarily to scale, and thus may appear somewhatexaggerated relative to how an actual size cross section of a wing orother aircraft component 100 might appear. As illustrated, the leadingedge 101 of the aircraft component 100 may, due to its aerodynamiccurvatures, face different angles of incidence of both airstreams andairborne matter, illustrated by arrows I₁-I₄ and their correspondingangles of incidence, θ₁-θ₄. As further illustrated, the component 100may comprise different thicknesses of material T₁-T₄, corresponding withthe differing angles of incidence θ₁-θ₄.

Although the component 100 as illustrated may have varying thicknessesT₁-T₄ to provide greater strength and/or stiffness, such as greaterimpact strength, in regions more likely to experience more direct impactfrom airborne matter, as will now be appreciated, the component may alsoemploy different materials having different strength-to-weight ratiosand/or different masses, and/or different densities, and/or differentstiffness and/or other properties. Providing such varying materials onaircraft components fabricated of aluminum and aluminum alloys, thoughpossible, would be less feasible than providing such different materialsduring a molding process, such as may be accomplished using compositematerials of the type now employed in fabricating aircraft components.Using a molding process, such as injection molding, aircraft and othercomponents may be fabricated having varying thicknesses and/or varyingmaterials according to the strength, stiffness, or other requirements ofthe component in different regions thereof. Such variability ofcomponents is particularly useful in the aerospace industry, whereissues of drag, lift, weight, material cost, and the like make itdesirable that no more material than necessary for safety, structuralintegrity, performance, etc., be employed at any given point of thecomponent.

Accordingly, varying the material used in fabricating a component may beachieved in several ways, including using different materials atdifferent injection ports for injection molded components formed as aunitary piece. In this way, a gradual blending of different componentsmay be achieved and controlled by the injection rate, viscosity,pressure, etc. of each injection port. This is illustrated schematicallyin FIG. 11. As there illustrated, in a molding process, a first material“A” having a first set of properties, for example high impact strength,desirable particularly in a leading edge 110 of a component generally112, may be injected through a first injection port or conduit 114. Asecond material, “B”, which may have a second set of properties, forexample, a medium impact strength, may be injected through a secondinjection port or conduit 116 to form a portion, such as a trailing edge118 of the component 112 that may require less impact strength. A thirdmaterial, “C,” which may have a third set of properties, for example, alow impact strength, may be injected through a third injection conduit120 to form another portion, such as a top surface 122 that may requirethe lowest impact strength. As illustrated, the different materials mayblend with one another, as illustrated by transition regions AC and AB.The degree of blending may be controlled, for example, by varying theinjection speed, viscosity, etc. For example, lower viscosity materialsmay tend to blend more readily than higher viscosity materials over agiven cure time. In the aspect illustrated in FIG. 11, the component 112may be of uniform thickness, but of course as will now be appreciated,both the thickness and the material of construction may be varied alongthe component 112.

In yet another aspect of the disclosure illustrated in FIG. 11, one ormore of the transition regions AC and/or AB may optionally be directlyinjected or filled with a blend of the adjoining materials, in thiscase, a first transition blend of material A and B and a secondtransition blend of material A and material C. The first transitionblend of material A and B may be injected or filled through an injectionport 124 as illustrated. The second transition blend of material A and Cmay be injected or filled through an injection port 126 as illustrated.Pre-blending adjoining materials and directly injecting them into atransition zone in this way may provide certain advantages, includingproviding for greater certainty of composition of the transition region,tailoring the composition of the transition region to a blend that mightnot result from in situ blending of adjacent materials, and providingfor smoother transition from one region of material to the next. Indeed,multiple injection ports each injecting a different blend of transitionmaterials between regions may permit a more gradual transition from oneregion to the next. By way of example, Region A may be injected with100% material A and region B may be injected with 100% material B. Thetransition region AB may be divided into different transition zones,each in communication with a separate injection port injecting adifferent blend of components A and B.

This concept is illustrated schematically in FIG. 12. As there shown,the component, generally 112, may comprise, for example five regions orzones, I-V. These zones may not have clear demarcation between themparticularly if smooth blending of material is desired; thus the dottedlines illustrated for separating the zones are illustrative only. Asillustrated, zone I may comprise 100% of material A, which may, forexample, be a composite material having a first set of properties. ZoneV may comprise 100% of material B, which may, for example, be acomposite material having a second set of properties. Zones II, III, andIV may comprise transition zones between zones I and V. Zone II may be ablend of material A and B that may be predominantly A, in this example,75% A by weight and 25% B by weight. Zone IV may comprise a blend ofmaterial A and B that may be predominantly material B, in this example,75% by weight B and 25% by weight A. Zone III may, as in this example bean equal blend of 50% A and B by weight. Each of zones I-V may be in aninjection mold (not shown), with each zone being in communication withits own injection port, also not shown, for injecting the precise blendand quantity of material desired.

This aspect of the disclosure, wherein different regions of a componentmay be fabricated of different materials, may have wide application bothwithin and outside of the aerospace industry. For example, it is knownto use composite materials to fabricate golf club shafts of varyingstiffness, by using a different stiffness material for different shafts.But using the techniques described herein, it is now possible to impartdifferent stiffness to different regions of a golf club shaft. In thisway, a shaft of uniform diameter from below the grip to above the clubhead may be achieved, permitting, for example, lower diameter shafts allalong the length of the club to minimize air resistance during theswing. Similarly, a baseball bat may be fabricated of a compositematerial of varying strength and/or stiffness, for example, using amaterial of greater flexibility between the handle and the barrel of thebat and using a material of greater density in the barrel. Use of thevarying properties of materials in fabricating other components is nowalso achievable according to the present disclosure.

Another aspect of the disclosure is illustrated in FIG. 13. In thisaspect, a jet engine having a deflector generally 130 may comprise oneor more deflector members 132 that may be rotationally or pivotallymounted to the engine, as will now be described.

As has been previously discussed, bird strikes generally occur at orbelow 10,000 feet AGL and more commonly at or below 3,000 feet AGL. Atthese altitudes, the aircraft is not at cruising altitude, and thus notflying at cruising speed, rather, is typically flying well belowcruising speed. Typical cruising air speed for long-distance commercialpassenger flights is 475-500 knots (878-926 km/h; 546-575 mph).

For an average-sized commercial jetliner with typical fuel and payload,the “takeoff speed” is around 130-160 knots, or about 150 to 200 milesper hour. The landing speed is more or less the same, usually a fewknots slower. Thus, there is a transitional period between takeoff andcruising speed and between cruising speed and landing speed thattransitions the aircraft between the lower takeoff speeds of about150-200 miles per hour and the upper cruising speed of about 575 milesper hour and back to the lower landing speeds of around 150-200 milesper hour. Once the aircraft reaches a safe cruising altitude, say 30,000feet, or cruising speed associated with such altitudes, a bird strikedeflector is no longer needed, as birds are not able to reach suchaltitudes.

This aspect of flight speed and/or altitude may be advantageouslyemployed with a bird strike deflector that is able to transition from adeployed orientation when the aircraft is at lower speeds and/or loweraltitudes to a retracted orientation when the aircraft is at cruisingspeeds and/or altitudes. The deployed configuration of a bird strikedeflector, generally 10, may be illustrated with reference to FIG. 1. Inthis aspect of the disclosure, the deflector may comprise one or moredeflector members 12 that may be connected to a jet engine at their aftend at an attachment point 60.

The attachment point 60 may provide for rotational or pivotal attachmentof the deflector member 12 to the engine. Referring to FIG. 13, theattachment point 60 may permit pivotal attachment, and may include aspring-loaded pivot pin, a mainspring, or other device 138 configured toprovide pivotal, biased connection of a rotatable/pivotal deflectormember 132 to the engine cowling, frame, attachment ring, and/or memberor other structural support, all schematically illustrated by element134 of FIG. 13.

The deflector members 12, 132 may also be rotationally or pivotallyattached at their fore ends to a central hub 14 at fore end attachmentpoints 61. One or both of the aft attachment points 60 and/or the foreattachment points 61 may be spring loaded or otherwise configured toresist rotation until the aircraft reaches a predetermined speed, atwhich point the velocity of the incoming air may be sufficient to turnthe deflector members 12 from a deployed orientation as illustrated inFIG. 1 and in FIG. 13 in dotted lines to a retracted position asillustrated by deflector members 132 in FIG. 13, thereby permittinggreater air intake to the jet engine and greater flying efficiency.

In another aspect, the deflector member(s) 132 may be configured with amechanism to actuate the deflector member(s) from a deployed position asillustrated by members 12 in FIG. 1 and the dotted lines of FIG. 13 to aretracted position as illustrated by deflector members 132 in FIG. 13.Such a mechanism may be actuated from the cockpit once the aircraftreaches an acceptable altitude. In this aspect, an attachment ring suchas 16 of FIG. 1 may be rotatably mounted to the engine, with thedeflector members 132 being rotatably mounted to the attachment ring 16such that rotation of the attachment ring, as illustrated by arrow R inFIG. 13, may cause the deflector members 132 to pivot substantially asillustrated in FIG. 13.

Only some of the deflector members 12, 132 are illustrated in FIG. 13for simplicity.

It may be advantageous to mount one or both ends of the deflector member12 off center, as illustrated in FIG. 1 at attachment point 60. Such amounting orientation may impart a moment about the attachment point 60,further enabling the rotational retraction of the spring loaded orotherwise biased deflector member 12. This aspect is illustratedschematically in FIG. 14, which shows a deployed deflector member 12 incross section, such as taken along lines C-C of FIG. 2, mounted via aspring-loaded pin 138 within a mounting detent 140 in the enginecowling, frame, or attachment ring or other structural member 134 of theengine.

As illustrated, the spring-loaded pin 138 may be positioned off centerwith respect to the deflector member 12 such that incoming air,illustrated by arrows I, will tend to create a moment M about the pivotpoint, for example, the spring-loaded pin 138, by virtue of the greatersurface area of deflector member 12 on one side of the pivot pointrelative to the other side. At sufficient air speed, this moment mayovercome the biasing forces of the spring-loaded pin 138 or otherwisebiased connection, which may in turn cause the deflector member 12 torotate in the direction shown, assuming a retracted position such asillustrated by dotted line deflector member 132.

The deflector member 12 illustrated in FIG. 14 may have, as illustrated,a relatively narrow edge 142 that may transition to a wider opposingedge 144, to assist in splitting air flowing past the deflector member12, as previously described. The deflector 12 may also have a trough,groove, or channel surface 82 as previously described.

As illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14, as the aircraft reaches a speed thatexceeds takeoff or landing speed of about 150-200 mph, such as cruisingspeed or speeds above about 200 mph, the deflector member(s) 12 mayrotate such that their narrower edges 142 face the incoming air I,thereby creating much wider distances D between adjacent deflectormembers 12. While this distance D would likely be too wide to preventingestion of even large birds, such ingestion will not typically occurat the higher cruising altitudes as previously discussed.

While the deflector of the present disclosure has been illustratedmounted to a jet engine having a circular air inlet opening, consistentwith many commercial aircraft, it will now be appreciated that thedeflector as described herein may be mounted to jet engines of any inletconfiguration, including without limitation four-sided, D-shaped,triangular, or oval shaped air inlets. The deflector 10 may, in suchapplications, be sized and configured to conform to the shape of the airinlet opening, for example, by configuring the aft end of the ribs,spokes, or vanes to be spaced around the air inlet opening and/or byproviding an attachment ring sized and configured to conform to the sizeand shape of the air inlet opening.

Although the deflector of the present disclosure has been describedprimarily with respect to jet engines for aircraft, it is intended thatthe disclosure and appended claims may apply to other applications,e.g., use of the deflector with gas turbines for power generation, withpropeller engines of aircraft, and generally with any air inlet whereingestion of birds and other airborne debris is to be avoided.

It will now also be appreciated that deflectors such as disclosed hereinmay be modified to be retractable with respect to the jet engines towhich they may be mounted, to permit retraction of the deflector oncethe airplane has reached an altitude above which bird strikes are highlyunlikely, e.g., 10,000 feet AGL or higher. Such retraction may beachieved by disposing the rib, spoke, or vane members within the cowlingof the engine and including a pusher/retractor mechanism that canmotivate the ribs, spokes or vanes into position and retract them into astowed position within the engine cowling. In such embodiment, thecentral hub could be dispensed with, and the ribs, spokes or vanes couldbe designed with fore ends that come close together and optionallyinterconnect upon deployment. Such a retraction mechanism might utilizethe attachment ring as a motivator for the ribs, spokes, or vanes, whichmay be pivotally connected to the attachment ring, and may includeretraction motors, outer hatch doors, and connections such as are knownin the art, e.g., for retracting landing gear, wing features, and thelike. Such a mechanism might further include straight, or in the case ofspiral shaped ribs, spokes, or vanes, spiral grooves within the enginecowling to direct and retain the ribs, spokes, or vanes in the properalignment upon deployment.

One aspect of a retractable deflector of the present disclosure isillustrated in FIG. 15. In this aspect, a retractable deflector,generally 150, may be mounted proximate the air inlet 155 of astructure, generally 160. The structure 160 may be, for example, a jetengine, a gas turbine, an internal combustion engine, or any otherstructure having an air intake region that may be subject to ingestionof foreign matter.

In one aspect, the structure 160 may comprise a jet engine having an airinlet cowl 151. The air inlet cowl may be fabricated of metal, such asaluminum and/or its alloys, and/or a composite material such asdescribed herein. The air inlet cowl 151 may include an outer wall 157and an inner wall 159. Between the outer wall 157 and inner wall 159 maybe an internal space 158 that may be of sufficient size and shape toaccept one or more deflector members 152 in a stowed position. Asillustrated, when the deflector member(s) 152 are in a stowed position,they may reside entirely inboard of the inner wall 159 of the air inletcowl 151, providing all or substantially all of the available area ofthe air inlet 155 for receiving incoming air. It may be advantageous toemploy the retractable deflector 150 in a stowed position, for example,in the case of a jet engine, after the aircraft has reached acomfortable cruising altitude and/or cruising speed and/or after it hasreached an altitude at which ingestion of airborne matter, such asbirds, is unlikely, generally above about 10,000 feet AGL.

As will be subsequently described, one or more of the stowed deflectormembers 152 may be deployed across a portion of the air inlet 155 toprevent ingestion of airborne matter of a predetermined size into theair inlet 155. In this regard, as will be subsequently described,several deployed deflector members 152A may overlap one another upondeployment, leaving relatively small uncovered areas 155A of the airinlet 155 for air intake. Additional air intake may be achieved throughthe use of air inlet openings 156, which shall also be subsequentlydescribed.

Although FIG. 15 illustrates four deployed deflector members 152A, (andfor simplicity three stowed deflector members 152) it will be readilyappreciated that any convenient number of deflector members 152, 152Amay be employed, depending on the size of the deflector member(s) 152,152A and/or diameter or area of the air inlet 155. As will be readilyappreciated, the larger and/or more numerous are the deflector member(s)152, 152A, the smaller will be the uncovered areas 155A of the air inlet155.

Although the deflector members, 152, 152A as illustrated in FIG. 15, mayhave a curvilinear shape, which may widen from the outer end 170 to theinner end 172, and/or may thicken from the inner end 172 to the outerend 170 as illustrated in FIG. 15A, it will also be appreciated that anyconvenient configuration for the deflector member(s) 152, 152A may beemployed. For example, the deflector member(s) 152, 152A may growthinner from the inner end 172 to the outer end 170, and/or may, asillustrated relative to member 12 of FIG. 2, grow narrower from theinner end to the outer end. Thus, the deflector member(s) 152, 152A mayhave other shapes, including but not limited to shapes such as disclosedherein, for example, as rib, vane, or spoke deflector members 12 ofFIGS. 1-7 herein, or the shapes of comparable components as disclosed inFIGS. 8-14 herein. Indeed, the retractable deflector 150 may compriseone or more deflector member(s) 152, 152A having a different shape orconfiguration relative to other deflector member(s) 152, 152A. Thedeflector member(s) 152, 152A of FIGS. 15 and 15A (as well as othersimilar structures described herein) are illustrative, schematic, andnot necessarily to scale.

As illustrated, one or more of the deflector members 152, 152A may beattached to the structure 160, for example a jet engine, to the airinlet cowl 151 and/or to a structural member therein at an attachmentpoint 153 thereof. The attachment point 153 of the deflector member(s)152, 152A may be a pivotal attachment that may enable the deflectormember(s) 152, 152A to pivot, turn, rotate, or otherwise transition froma stowed position as illustrated by dotted line deflector member(s) 152to a deployed position as illustrated by solid line deflector member(s)152A. The stowed deflector member(s) 152 may transition to a deployedposition by passing through a slot, hatch, hole, or other access 151Aformed in the inner wall 159 of the air inlet cowl 151, as best seen inFIG. 15A. As there illustrated, the access 151A may have one or moreangled or contoured sides or edges 151B that may assist in deploying thedeflector member(s) 152A along the desired transition path. Such angledor contoured sides or edges 151A may extend into the internal space 158from the inner wall 158A of the air inlet cowl 151, may complimentand/or be part of a guide member 168 (subsequently discussed), and/ormay be integrally formed with the air inlet cowl 151 and/or may compriseseparate elements. Such angled or contoured sides or edges 151B may beshaped to substantially correspond to the shape or contour of thatportion of the deflector member(s) 152, 152A passing through the access151A.

The transition of the deflector member(s) 152 from a stowed position toa deployed deflector 152A position may be along a path such as thatschematically illustrated by double headed arrow Win FIG. 15. Transitionpath W may be in only one plane of view, i.e., may be rotational in onlyone plane. In this aspect, the retractable deflector 150 may open andclose with substantial similarity to a camera lens aperture, and mayinclude one or more geared motors, such as illustrated and described inU.S. Pat. No. 8,285,136 or European patent application publicationnumber EP1841212 A1, both incorporated by reference in their entiretyherein, that may drive the deflector member(s) 152, 152A between astowed and deployed position, respectively, for example utilizing apower transmission device that may move the deflector member(s) 152along or within a guide member, hole, slot, or groove, and through theair inlet cowl 151 into the air inlet 155, such as through access 151Aof FIG. 15A.

In one aspect, the retractable deflector 150 may employ, for example amotivator 162, such as a diaphragm ring to which may be pivotallyconnected one or more deflector members 152, 152A at their attachmentpoint 153. Such motivator may further include, for example, a linkagerod to assist in motivating the deflector member(s) 152, 152A along agenerally radial path similar that used to open and close a camera lensaperture. The motivator or diaphragm ring 162 may be motivated by ageared motor mechanism, generally 164, that may include a drive gear 165that may engage the diaphragm ring 162 and may be driven by a drivemotor 166. The drive motor 166 may be mounted within the internal space158 of the air inlet cowl, for example, by mounting the drive motor 166to an internal wall 158A thereof as illustrated. The deflector member(s)152 may be urged into a deployed position, for example, by causing thedrive motor 166 to drive the drive gear 165, thereby motivating thediaphragm ring 162 in the direction of arrow Y in FIG. 15. Asillustrated in FIGS. 15 and 15A, the geared drive motor 166 and drivegear 165 or other motivating mechanism may reside inboard of the airinlet cowl inner wall 159. The drive gear 165 may comprise a pluralityof gears and/or may ride in a gear path in the air inlet cowl internalwall 158A. In another aspect, the drive gear 165 may ride in a gear pathin the diaphragm ring. As illustrated in FIG. 15A, the air inlet cowl151 may include one or more outer accesses 220 that may comprise a door,hatch, or other access permitting access to the drive motor 166, drivegear 165, and other components of the retractable deflector 150 formaintenance, repair, inspection, etc.

As illustrated in FIG. 15, one or more of the deflector member(s) 152,152A may include one or more air inlet openings 156 substantially asdescribed with respect to other aspects of the disclosure herein. Theair inlet openings 156 of FIG. 15 may be sized and shaped such that whenone or more deflector member(s) 152, 152A overlap in a deployedposition, one or more of their respective air inlet openings maysubstantially align as illustrated by aligned air inlet openings 156A.

As further illustrated in FIG. 15, the diaphragm ring 162 may comprisean inner wall having an inner diameter 210 and an outer wall having anouter diameter 212. As illustrated in FIG. 15A, the inner wall 210(and/or outer wall 212) may be slidably retained within the air inletcowl 151 by a retaining member 214. As illustrated, the inner wall 210(and/or outer wall 212) may include a key 215 or retaining flange toslidably retain the diaphragm ring 162 within the retaining member 214.The diaphragm ring 162 may further include one or more bearings 216 toprovide smooth rotation of the diaphragm ring 162 about the air inletcowl. The retaining member 214 may be a separate component or may beintegrally formed with the air inlet cowl 151. Although only oneretaining member 214 is shown, and only the inner wall 210 isillustrated as having a key 215 that may be retained by the retainingmember 214, it will be understood that additional retaining members 214may be used, for example, to retain the outer wall 212, in which casethe outer wall 212 may likewise include a key 215.

One or more guide members 168 may be positioned within, and/or fixed to,and/or integrally formed with, the air inlet cowl 151. Such guidemember(s) 168 may be angled and/or curved to complement the shape and/ortransitional paths, such as transitional paths W, L, CW, and CC(subsequently described), of the deflector member(s) 152, 152A and/ormay be contoured to compliment the contour(s) of the deflector member(s)152, 152(A), such that as the deflector member(s) 152, 152A slide pastthe guide member 168, the deflector member(s) 152, 152A may be urgedinto and/or retained in a deployed orientation as illustrated bydeflector member(s) 152A. In the aspect of the disclosure illustrated inFIG. 15, two guide members 168 are illustrated as engaging one deployeddeflector member 152A. Additional guide members 168A may be used toassist in returning, retaining, and/or stowing the deflector member(s)152 in a stowed position.

It may be advantageous, when employing more than one guide member 168,to provide adequate spacing between adjacent guide members 168 such thata deflector member 152A adjacent to the deflector member 152A that isurged and/or retained by the adjacent guide members 168 may pass betweenadjacent guide members 168 when being retracted into a stowed position.Of course, other configurations for the guide member(s) 168 arepossible, including integrally forming guide members 168 with the airinlet cowl 151 and/or using a smaller or more elongated guide member 168that may engage a smaller or larger portion of the deflector member(s)152A than illustrated.

Optionally, alternatively, or additionally, the retractable deflector150 may include mechanisms permitting the transition path of the guidemember(s) 152, 152A to comprise a directional component generallyparallel to the direction of incoming air, or normal to the page of FIG.15, i.e., generally along the path of double-headed arrow L-L in FIG.15A. Also, imparting a directional component tending to orient thedeflector member(s) 152, 152A into an orientation comprising a trailingedge 167 and a leading edge 169 may be achieved. In this aspect, thedeflector member(s) 152 i.e., may transition from a stowed positionwithin the air inlet cowl 151 to a deployed position substantially asillustrated in FIGS. 2 and 15A, such that the deflector member(s) 152(element 12 in FIG. 2) achieve a fore and aft orientation, as well as aradially disposed orientation over at least a portion of the air inlet155. Such a transition may be achieved using any convenient mechanismfor the purpose.

In one aspect, illustrated in FIGS. 16-18, the guide member(s) 168 maycomprise a generally curvilinear surface or angled wall 179 that mayurge the deflector member(s) 152, 152A radially inwardly, i.e., from theposition of stowed deflector member 152 residing within the air inletcowl 151 to that of deployed deflector member 152A, lying at leastpartially across the air inlet 155. It may here be noted that otherstructures, including guide pins, grooves, slots, and the like may alsoserve the same purpose as the guide member(s) 168. Also, as previouslynoted, angled, flared, beveled, or otherwise contoured walls 151B to theair inlet cowl access 151A may assist in orienting the deflectormember(s) 152 as they transition from their stowed position to thedeployed position of deflector member(s) 152A.

The guide member(s) 168 may also comprise a generally inclined, curved,flared, or otherwise contoured directional surface 180. This directionalsurface 180 may assist in urging one or more deflector members 152 alonga transition path having a directional component generally parallel tothe direction of incoming air, i.e., normal to the air inlet 155. Thisdirectional surface 180 may also comprise, when viewed on end as inFIGS. 18 and 19, a bevel having an outer portion 182 transitioning to aninner portion 184 that may be beveled in a generally inboard directionand may assist in urging, turning, or twisting a deploying deflectormember 152A into an orientation comprising, as in FIG. 18, an outboardor leading edge 169 and an inboard or trailing edge 167.

Another aspect of the guide member 168, as viewed from the right side ofFIG. 16, is illustrated by FIG. 19. In this aspect, the directionalsurface may be beveled in a generally outboard direction, which maycause the deflector member 152A to be oriented as illustrated, with theleading edge 169 being inboard, and the trailing edge 167 beingoutboard.

When a guide member 168 such as illustrated in FIGS. 16-19 is used, itmay be advantageous for the attachment point 153 to comprise aball-and-socket joint, such as illustrated schematically in FIG. 15A, orsimilar universal/pivotal connection that may permit pivoting and/orrotation by the deflector member(s) 152, 152A in multiple directions orplanes, i.e., permitting yaw, pitch, and/or roll of the deflectormember(s) 152, 152A relative to the air inlet cowl 151. When such auniversal joint, i.e., a ball-in-socket or other universally pivotalconnection is used for the attachment point 153, for example incombination with a guide member 168 such as disclosed herein, thedeflector member(s) 152, 152A may be motivated along a transition pathhaving one or several directional components.

For example, the guide member(s) 168 may guide the deflector member(s)152, 152A along a transition path having a first directional component,the first directional component being directed generally radiallyfrom/toward the air inlet cowl inner wall 159 toward/from the air inlet155 as illustrated by double-arrow W in FIGS. 15 and 15A. In thisaspect, the guide member(s) may be complimented or replaced with a slot222 formed in or passing through the diaphragm ring 162 and through theinner wall 210. The slot may comprise a path substantially the same asthe transition path W. The slot 222 may receive a pin or flange 224 thatmay extend from a surface of the deflector member(s) 152, 152A and maybe integrally formed therewith. The guide pin or flange 224 may beelongated, to enable it to remain within the slot 222 through the entirepath of the slot 222, particularly where the deflector member(s) 152,152A are motivated longitudinally in the L-L direction as describedherein.

The guide member(s) 168 may further guide the deflector member(s) 152,152A along a transition path having a second directional component, thesecond directional component being directed generally longitudinally,i.e., in and out of the air inlet cowl 151, substantially parallel tothe direction of incoming air entering the air inlet 11, 155, asillustrated by the double headed-arrow L-L in FIGS. 2 and 15A.

The guide member(s) 168 may further guide the deflector member(s) 152,152A along a transition path having a third directional component, asillustrated by the arrows CW and CC of FIGS. 15A, 18, and 19. This thirddirectional component may be directed generally rotationally, imparting,for example, a generally clockwise rotation to the deflector member(s)152, 152A about the pivotal connection 153 into the page of FIG. 15A asillustrated by the arrow CW, and/or imparting, for example, a generallycounterclockwise rotation of the deflector member(s) 152, 152A out ofthe page of FIG. 15A, thereby, in either case, imparting the deflectormember(s) 152, 152A with a leading edge 169 and a trailing edge 167. Theretractable deflector 150 may employ any one of the first, second, orthird directional components, all of them, or any combination of them,for example may employ the first, or the second, or the third, or thefirst and section, or the first and third, or the second and third, orthe first, second, and third, directional components.

As also illustrated in FIGS. 16-19, the guide member(s) 168 may comprisea retaining portion 186 that may, as illustrated in FIGS. 18 and 19,assist in retaining deployed deflector member(s) 152A in a deployedposition, for example, by capturing, slidably retaining, or otherwiseholding the deployed member 152 securely in a deployed orientation. Asimilar retaining portion 186 may be used with guide member(s) 168A toretain stowed deflector member(s) in a stowed position.

It should here be noted that the deflector members 152, 152A may engageone or more other deflector members 152, 152A when deployed forstructural rigidity. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 15, one or moreof the deployed deflector members 152A may overlap another deployeddeflector member, such as an adjacent deflector member 152A, resultingin an overlapping region(s), 154, illustrated in cross hatch in one ofthe overlapping regions 154A. These overlapping regions 154 may engageone another upon deployment and/or upon stowing of the retractabledeflector 150, and may thus provide enhanced structural integrity of theretractable deflector 150. In this aspect of the disclosure, the needfor a central hub such as element 14 of FIG. 1 may be dispensed with, assufficient central stability may be imparted by the overlapping natureof the adjacent deflector members 152A upon deployment. As furtherillustrated in FIGS. 15 and 20, the overlapping regions 154 mayoptionally be arrested in their deployment relative to one another by anarrest member, 190, which may be a pin, detent, wall, or other memberthat may arrest the transitional motion of one or more of the deployingdeflector member(s) 152 upon full deployment.

FIG. 20 illustrates an arrest member 190 as illustrated in FIG. 15 in across sectional view taken along lines F-F. As there illustrated,adjacent deflector members 152A may overlap in overlapping regions 154which may partially or completely touch, depending on the contours ofthe deflector members 152A. The arrest member 190 may include a slot 191and/or overhang 192 that may assist in retaining the upper or outerdeflector member 152A in close contact with the lower or inner deflectormember 152A upon deployment, providing further structural support. Thearrest member 190 may be sized, shaped, and positioned so as to arrestthe movement of a deploying deflector member 152A in any and alldirectional components described herein. Although the arrest member 190of FIG. 20 is illustrated as being positioned on the upper side of thelower of two overlapping deflector member 152A, the arrest member(s) 190may optionally or additionally be positioned on the side of thedeflector member(s) 152, 152A, and/or on lower side of the upper of twooverlapping deflector member 152A. In addition to, or in place of arrestmembers 190 being deployed on the deflector member(s) 152A, similarstructures may be employed on the air inlet cowl, for example, at theaccess opening through which the deflector member(s) 152A may pass upondeployment,

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention,including the best mode, and also to enable any person of ordinary skillin the art to practice the invention, including making and using anydevices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The stepsrecited in the accompanying method claims need not be taken in therecited order, where other orders of conducting the steps to achieve thedesired result would be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill inthe art. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims,and may include other examples that occur to those of ordinary skill inthe art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of theclaims if they have structural elements that do not differ from theliteral language of the claims or if they include equivalent structuralelements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages ofthe claims.

What is claimed:
 1. An aircraft component comprising a wing, a tailsection, an engine nacelle, an air inlet cowl, a windshield, an airinlet deflector, or a fuselage, the aircraft component comprising anouter skin, the outer skin comprising a fore end region and an aft endregion relative to an intended direction of an airstream or airbornematter impacted by the outer skin, the fore end region presenting afirst angle of incidence, and the aft end region presenting a secondangle of incidence, the first angle of incidence being more directrelative to the intended direction than the second angle of incidence,wherein the fore end region of the outer skin comprises a firstthickness relative to the intended direction, and the aft end region ofthe outer skin comprises a second thickness relative to the intendeddirection, and the first thickness is greater than the second thickness,and wherein the fore end region of the outer skin further comprises afirst impact strength, and the aft region of the outer skin comprises asecond impact strength, and the first impact strength is greater thanthe second impact strength, and wherein the outer skin further comprisesa fiber-reinforced composite material.
 2. The aircraft component ofclaim 1 wherein the first angle of incidence is greater than the secondangle of incidence.
 3. The aircraft component of claim 1 wherein theouter skin comprises a molded component.
 4. The aircraft component ofclaim 3 wherein the molded component comprises a fiber-reinforcedmaterial.
 5. The aircraft component of claim 1 comprising a varyingimpact strength portion between the fore end region and the aft endregion.
 6. The aircraft component of claim 5 wherein the varying impactstrength portion comprises impact strengths that vary continuously fromthe fore end region to the aft end region.
 7. The aircraft component ofclaim 1 wherein the outer skin comprises a molded unitary piece.
 8. Anaircraft component comprising a wing, a tail section, an engine nacelle,an air inlet cowl, a windshield, an air inlet deflector, or a fuselage,the aircraft component comprising an outer skin, the outer skincomprising a fore end region and an aft end region relative to anintended direction of an airstream or airborne matter impacted by theouter skin, the fore end region presenting a first angle of incidence,and the aft end region presenting a second angle of incidence, the firstangle of incidence being more direct relative to the intended directionthan the second angle of incidence, wherein the fore end region of theouter skin comprises a first impact strength, and the aft end region ofthe outer skin comprises a second impact strength, and the first impactstrength is greater than the second impact strength, and wherein theouter skin further comprises a fiber-reinforced composite material. 9.The aircraft component of claim 8 wherein the fore end region of theouter skin comprises a first composite material comprising the firstimpact strength, and the aft end region comprises a second compositematerial comprising the second impact strength.
 10. The aircraftcomponent of claim 8 wherein the fiber-reinforced composite materialcomprises a plastic, a polymer, or a thermoplastic.
 11. The aircraftcomponent of claim 8 wherein the fiber-reinforced composite materialcomprises carbon, Kevlar, Twaron, aluminum, or glass fibers.
 12. Theaircraft component of claim 8 wherein the fiber-reinforced compositematerial comprises epoxy, polyester, vinyl ester, or nylon.
 13. Theaircraft component of claim 8 wherein the outer skin comprises a moldedunitary piece.
 14. The aircraft component of claim 13 wherein the outerskin comprises an injection molded unitary piece.
 15. The aircraftcomponent of claim 8 wherein the fore end region of the outer skincomprises a first fiber-reinforced composite material, and the aft endregion of the outer skin comprises a second fiber-reinforced compositematerial.
 16. A method of fabricating an aircraft component comprisingmolding an outer skin of a wing, a tail section, an engine nacelle, anair inlet cowl, a windshield, an air inlet deflector, or a fuselage, theouter skin comprising a molded, unitary piece, the outer skin furthercomprising a fiber-reinforced composite material and a fore end regionand an aft end region relative to an intended direction of an airstreamor airborne matter impacted by the outer skin, the fore end regionpresenting a first angle of incidence, and the aft end region presentinga second angle of incidence, the first angle of incidence being moredirect relative to the intended direction than the second angle ofincidence, the method comprising molding the fore end region with afirst impact strength, and molding the aft end region with a secondimpact strength, wherein the first impact strength is greater than thesecond impact strength.
 17. The method of claim 16 wherein the firstimpact strength comprises molding the fore end region with a firstthickness relative to the intended direction, the second impact strengthcomprises molding the aft end region with a second thickness relative tothe intended direction, and wherein the first thickness is greater thanthe second thickness.
 18. The method of claim 16 wherein the firstimpact strength comprises molding the fore end region with a firstimpact strength material having the first impact strength, the secondimpact strength comprises molding the aft end region with a secondimpact strength material having the second impact strength.